Self-medication in urban and rural Zimbabwean communities

1. A questionnaire examining the use of, and knowledge about over-the-counter (OTC) drugs was administered verbally to representatives from 200 urban and 200 rural households. Self-medication was common in both groups but there were more drugs present in rural (336 items) than urban homes (231 items) with the differences largely due to the more frequent presence of traditional medicines in rural homes. 2. Analgesics were the commonest items in the homes of both groups. A positive urine screening test for aspirin, chloroquine, or antibiotics was found in 25% of urban and 27% of rural samples tested. Respondents who elected to use an OTC drug for a particular symptom usually chose an appropriate drug. 3. Rural respondents were more likely to use traditional medicines particularly for the treatment of cough, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. 4. Knowledge about dosages, the possibility of adverse reactions, and the seriousness of potential poisoning with OTC drugs was inadequate and needs to be corrected for more efficient self-medication.